Bradley Owen Brueckmann was born in Indianapolis, IN on April 6, 1962. He passed away peacefully surrounded by family on March 21, 2023.
Brad was preceded in death by his father, F. Robert “Bob” Brueckmann as well as his brother, Douglas, and his sister Dawn. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Laura Macomber Brueckmann; his children Erik (Stephanie) Brueckmann, Heidi (Jacob Presson) Brueckmann, and Kirstin Brueckmann (Benjamin) Kruip; as well as his favorite first grandchild Wells Kruip. Brad is also survived by his mother Betty Lee Brueckmann and his sisters Melanie (Doug) Thompson, Jennifer (Greg) Johnson, and Beth (Jay) Carney. Brad is deeply loved by his extended family of nieces, nephews, cousins, and in-laws.
When Brad met Laura at Miami of Ohio in October of 1982, he found the one whom his soul loves. She was his best friend, his most trusted confidant, and the love of his life. As two musicians on opposite ends of the staff, his bass to her soprano, together they found a perfect harmony.
Above all things, Brad loved spending time with his family, usually outdoors. From kayaking at Lake Wawasee to fishing off of Sanibel Island with Captain Shawn Kelly, to gardening in his own backyard. Any time he could, Brad would find a way to combine his two loves: family and the beauty of nature.
Every year, Brad looked forward to the second weekend of November when he would wake up before dawn and meet his son for their annual tradition – opening day of deer hunting season. While his faith and Zionsville United Methodist Church community were always close to his heart, he also said that on those cold winter mornings sitting in a tree stand, spending time with his son, he was worshipping in God’s original sanctuary.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Brad’s honor to one of the organizations and causes that held a special place in his heart. Brad was always filled with joy while watching the birds in his backyard and was tickled when his daughters gifted him t-shirts with sayings such as “Easily Distracted By Birds,” “Bird Nerd,” and “That’s what I do: I watch birds and I know things.” He connected with nature, his faith, and his son through a shared passion for nature conservancy as well as the values and life lessons to be learned through hunting.
• The National Audubon Society is an organization that protects birds and the places they need (https://tinyurl.com/Donate-to-Audubon).
• The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation works to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, and their habitat (https://tinyurl.com/Donate-to-RMEF).
• The National Wild Turkey Foundation is dedicated to the conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of our hunting heritage (https://tinyurl.com/Donate-to-NWTF).
• Ding Darling Wildlife Society supports the J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge Complex through the generation of independent funds to undertake student education, internships, research projects, informational literature, advocacy, land acquisition and facility enhancements (https://tinyurl.com/Donate-to-Ding-Darling).
If you have ever been wished a happy birthday by Brad, then you know his go-to wish was to “enjoy every day.” Even after deciding to take a break from Facebook, he continued to use the application so that he could share this message with his friends and family on their special days. Without fail, Brad would also text his loved ones every morning with “143,” his family’s special code for “I love you.” When we think of Brad, we hope to always remember this and to live like he did his best to live: enjoying every day.
Visitation will be from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday, March 25, 2023, at Zionsville United Methodist Church. The celebration of life will be at 1 p.m. with the burial immediately to follow at Crown Hill Cemetery.
Saturday, March 25, 2023
11:00am - 1:00 pm (Eastern time)
Zionsville United Methodist Church
Saturday, March 25, 2023
1:00 - 1:00 pm (Eastern time)
Zionsville United Methodist Church
Saturday, March 25, 2023
2:00 - 2:00 pm (Eastern time)
Crown Hill Cemetery
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